An example of this type of strut mount is disclosed in Patent Document 1. A strut mount 51, which is shown in the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 8, comprises: an outer cylinder 52 formed in a tapered shape having a diameter increasing downward along its central axis; an inner cylinder 53 arranged on the inner circumference side of the outer cylinder 52; and an elastic member 54 connecting the outer cylinder 52 and the inner cylinder 53 and covering an outer circumferential surface and ends of the outer cylinder 52.
This strut mount 51 is used with a strut rod 55 which forms a part of a not-illustrated shock absorber on a wheel and a vehicle body panel 56 which is shaped like an inverted dish and provided with a through-hole 56a in its bottom surface. Here, an upper end 55a of a strut rod 55 is arranged to penetrate through the inside of the inner cylinder 53 and the outer cylinder 52 of the strut mount 51 is fitted to the inner surface of a vehicle body panel 56. The strut mount 51 is, at the same time, fastened and secured to a stopper fitting 57 having larger outer contour dimensions than the through-hole 56a. In this way, the strut mount 51 functions as a suspension device for reducing transmission of vibration between the vehicle body and the wheel.
That is, according to such a suspension device, most of an input force from the wheel to the body received from the road surface when the vehicle travels is absorbed by a coil spring 58 and the shock absorber, a part of the input force that could not be absorbed by the coil spring 58 and the shock absorber is absorbed by the strut mount 51, and an input force from the body to the wheel is absorbed mainly by means of shearing deformation of the elastic member 54 of the strut mount 51. As a result, the suspension device can reduce transmission of vibration from the road surface to the body sufficiently and thereby can improve ride quality of the vehicle.